Sanding appliance for trolley-cars.



N e37 460. PATBNTED DEC. 4 1906.

o 'A. 11. FLEXER.

SANDING APPLIANCE .POR TROLLBY CARS.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JULYM' 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: JNVENTOI? ATTOHIIEK THE mmms PITERS ca, WISHINGTON. D. c.

N 837,460. PATENTED DEC. 4 1906 o A. H. FLBXER.

SANDING APPLIANCE FOR TROLLEY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY. 1908.

2 snnt'ra-snssw z.

WITNESSES A, M M

.4 TTOIiWEV.

1n: Noam: PETERS :nnunra UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANDING APPLIANCE FOR TROLLEY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed July 24, 1906. Serial No. 327,488.

T at whom it may concern.-

, Be it known that I, ALFRED H. FLEXER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sanding Appliances for Trolley- Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention has relation to a sanding appliance for trolley-cars; andin such connection it relates more particularly to the construction andarrangement of such an appliance.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to construct a sandingappliance for trolley-cars so as to discharge the same in predeterminedquantities uniformly over the rail; second, to provide for this purposea storage-receptacle for the sand, with a discharge-receptacle ofpredetermined size, into which the sand from the storage-receptacledescends and fills by gravity; third, to provide thedischarge-receptacle with coupled slide-valves for controlling,respectively, the inlet and outlet thereof; fourth, to provide meansconnected with the valves whichwhen actuated closes the inlet for sandto the discharge-receptacle by one of the valves and simultaneouslyopening the outlet-opening thereof by another valve and when releasedautomatically opening the inlet and closing the outlet opening of thereceptacle; fifth, to arrange certain of the actuating means so as torender the same removable to prevent actuation of the appliance byunauthorized persons sixth, to provide the slide-valve controlling. theoutlet-opening of the dischargereceptacle with means to insure exit ofsand therefrom by the stirring up of the same prior to the dischargethereof from said receptacle, and, seventh, to provide means arrangedbelow the discharge-receptacle for conducting sand in front of certainof the wheels of the car and upon the rail.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a viewillustrating, partly 1n side elevation and partly in section, a portionof a trolley-car, a storage-receptacle for sand arranged under one ofthe seats thereof, a discharge-receptacle communicating therewith andarranged below the floor of the car,

means for controlling the inlet and outlet of sand therefrom andconnected with said receptacle and the platform of said car, and meansfor conducting the sand in front of certain of the wheels of the car,all embodying main features of my said invention. Fig. 2 is a view,enlarged, illustrating in section a portion of the body and platform ofthe car, the storage and discharge receptacles for the sand,slide-valves for controlling the inlet and outlet of thedischarge-receptacle, and means for manually and automatically actuatingthe same. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the valves inmanually-actuated position. Fig. 4 is a view at a right angle to Fig. 2,illustrating the discharge-receptacle and means carried by one of theslide-valves for stirring up the sand therein; and Figs. 5 and 6 arerespectively perspective detail views illustrating a treadle and theconnection thereof with an actuating mechanism for the slide-valves anda bearing for the treadle.

Referring to the drawings, 8 represents a trolley-car. Below one of theseats 9 thereof is arranged a storage-receptacle 10 for sand, which bymeans of an opening 12, arranged in the floor 11 of the car 8, is inopen communication with a receptacle 14, suitably secured to the floor11 and having an opening registering with the opening 12 of thereceptacle 14, which in turn registers with an opening 17, arranged in aslide 16. The slide 16, forming a valve controlling the openings 12 and15, is movably arranged in the upper end of the discharge-receptacle 14and is held in an open or inoperative position in the same by a lever18, pivotally connected by a bracket 19 with the dischargereceptacle 14and engaged at the point 20 by a rod 21, carried by brackets 22, securedto the under side of the platform 23 of the car 8. A spring 24, mountedon the rod 21, tends to hold the lever 18, and by the same the valve 16,in an open position, while at the same time a valve 25, controlling anoutletopening 27 of the discharge-chamber 14, is held by the lever 18,to which it is pivotally connected at the point 26, in a closed oroperative position, as illustrated in Fig.- 2. In these positions of theslide-valves 16 and sand stored in the receptacle 10 is permitted tofreely pass into the discharge-receptacle 14 through the openings 12,15, and 19 respectively arranged in the receptacles 10 and 14 and theslide-valve 16, until the receptacle 14 is filled with sand, which isheld therein by the slide-valve 25 closing the outlet 27 thereof. Therod 21 at the free end is provided with a forked bracket 31, the bolt 32of which is engaged by the forked end 34 of a treadle 33, which by meansof a bolt 35 engaging the slotted extension 37 of a bracket 36, carriedby the platform 23, is removably connected therewith, as illustrated inFig. 2.

When it becomes necessary to sand the rail upon which the wheels 7 ofthe trolleycar 8 run, the treadle 33 by the foot of the operator isdepressed at one end, thus swinging the same on the bolt 35 in thebracket 36 and moving the forked end 34 thereof forward. This movementby means of the rod 21 is transmitted to the lever 18, which shifts theslide-valves 16 and 25 into the positions shown in Fig. 3. Theinlet-openings 12 and 15, permitting the sand to enter thedischarge-receptacle 14, are now closed by the slide-valve 16, thuscutting off further supply of sand thereto, while at the same time anopening 28, arranged in the slide-valve 25, is brought into a positionin which the same registers with the discharge-opening 27 of thedischarge-tube 29. The sand in the receptacle 14 is now permitted tofreely discharge therefrom by passing through the openings 28 and 27into the discharge-tube 29, which conducts the sand into areceiving-funnel 38, secured by a bracket 39 to theframework 40 of therunning-gear of the trolley-car 8. From the funnel 38 by means of acurved tube 41, terminating in proximity to the tread of the wheels 7,the sand is conducted directly upon the track 43 in front of the wheels7, thus insuring proper action of the same upon the wheels. By thesupport of the funnel 38 and discharge-tube 41 by the framework 40 ofthe car 8 the side movements of the body of the car carrying thedischarge-receptacle 14 are not transmitted to the tube 41, and thusproper discharge of sand on the rail 43 by the tube 41 is at all timesinsured.

In order to prevent sticking or clogging of sand in thedischargereceptacle 14, the slidevalve 25, closing the outlet-opening 27thereof, is provided with prongs 42, preferably tapering to a point attheir free ends. When the slide 25 is actuated by the lever 18, theprongs 42 by being moved through the sand loosen the same sufficientlyto insure its proper exit through the openings 27 and 28, respectively,of the slide-valve 25 and receptacle 14 and the discharge-tube 29.

As soon as the treadle 33 is relieved of the pressure exerted thereon bythe foot of the operator the spring 24 by actuating the rod 21 andthrough the intervention of the lever 18 shifts the slide-valves 16 and25 automat- .the slide-valve 25.

ically back into a normal position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In thisposition the opening 17 of the valve 16 registers with the inletopenings12 and 15, respectively, of the storage-receptacle 10 anddischarge-receptacle 14, while the outlet-opening 27 is closed by Sandwill again enter the discharge-receptacle 14 and replace the sanddischarged therefrom through the outlet 27 thereof.

A storage-receptacle 10 and a dischargereceptacle 14 are arranged ateach end of the car 8, and each of the platforms 23 thereof is providedwith actuating mechanism for the slide-valves 16 and 25, such asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to prevent the actuation of the treadle 33 by unauthorizedpersons and also to enable the operator to use the same treadle on eachof the platforms 23 of the car 8, the same can be readily disengagedfrom the rod 21 by merely lifting and then bringing the forked end 34out of engagement with the bolt 32 of the rod 21 and the bolt 35 out ofengagement with the extensions 37 of the bracket 36, as will be readilyunderstood from Figs. 5 and 6.

Having thus described the nature and obj ects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an appliance of the character described, a receptacle'adapted toreceive'sand having an inlet and outlet, meansconnected with each otherfor controlling the inlet and outlet thereof, means arranged to permitof the manual and automatic actuation of said controlling means, andmeans removably connected with said actuating means ada ted whenmanually operated to permit of ischarge of sand from said receptacle andto prevent entrance of sand thereto.

2. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two superposed receptacles forming respectively, storage anddischarge receptacles for sand and each having an inlet and outletconnected with the car-body, means connected with thedischarge-receptacle for normally closing the outlet and opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle, means for controlling the inlet and outlet closingmeans connected with the platform of the car and adapted, when actuated,to prevent entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle and to permit of the simultaneous exit of sandtherefrom, and means connected with the framework of the running-gear ofthe car for conducting sand independently of the movements of thecarbody in front of certain of the wheels thereof.

3. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two superposed receptacles connected with the car-' llO bodyforming respectively storage and discharge receptacles for sand and eachhaving an inlet and outlet, means connected with thedischarge-receptacle for normally closing the outlet and opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle, means for controlling the inlet and outlet closingmeans connected with the platform of the car, means removably connectedwith the platform for engaging said controlling means, said controllingmeans, when actuated by said removable means, adapted to prevententrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle and to permit of the simultaneous eXit of sandtherefrom.

4. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two superposed receptacles connected with the carbody formingrespectively storage and dis charge receptacles for sand and each havingan inlet and outlet, means connected with the discharge-receptacle fornormally closing the outlet and opening the inlet to permit of entranceof sand from the storage-receptacle into the discharge-receptacle, meansfor controlling the inlet and outlet closing means connected with theplatform of the car, means removably connected with the platform forengaging said controlling means, said controlling means, when actuatedby said removable means, adapted to prevent'entrance of sand from thestorage-receptacle into the discharge-receptacle and to permit of thesimultaneous exit of sand therefrom, and means connected with theframework of the running-gear of'the car for conducting sandindependently of the movements of the carbody in front of certain of thewheels thereof.

5. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two superposed receptacles forming respectively, storage anddischarge receptacles for sand and each having an inlet and outletconnected with the carbody, means connected with thedischarge-receptacle for normally closing the outlet and opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-re- 'ceptacle intothe discharge-receptacle, means for controlling the inlet and outletclosing means connected with the platform of the car and adapted, whenactuated, to prevent entrance of sand from the storage-recep tacle intothe discharge-receptacle and to permit of the simultaneous exit of sandtherefrom, and means carried by the outletclosing means of thedischarge-receptacle adapted to loosen the sand in the same.

6. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two su perposed receptacles connected with the car-body andforming, respectively, storage and discharge receptacles for sand andeach having an inlet and outlet, slide-valves connected with thedischarge-rece tacle for normally closing the outlet an opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle, a lever connecting the valves with each other, aspring-controlled rod connected with the car-platform for actuating saidlever and by the same said valves, and a treadle removably connectedwith the carplatform and said rod, said treadle when manually operatedand when actuating said rod and lever, and by the same said valves,adapted to prevent the entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle intothe discharge-receptacle and to permit of simultaneous exit of sandtherefrom.

7. In an appliance of the character described, in combination with acar, two superposed receptacles connected with the car-body and forming,respectively, storage and discharge receptacles for sand and each havingan inlet and outlet, slide-valves connected with thedischarge-receptacle for normally closing the outlet and opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle, a lever connecting the valves with each other, aspring-controlled rod connected with the car-platform for actuating saidlever and by the same said valves, anda treadle removably connected withthe carplatform and said rod, said treadle when manually operated andwhen actuating said rod and lever, and by the same said valves, adaptedto prevent the entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle and to permit of simultaneous eXit of sandtherefrom and prongs carried by the valve controlling the outlet of saiddischarge-receptacle adapted to loosen the sand prior to the dischargeof the same h'om said receptacle.

8. In an appliance of the character d6.- scribed, in combination with acar, two su perposed receptacles connected with the car-body andforming, respectively, storage and discharge receptacles for sand andeach having an inlet and outlet, slide-valves connected with thedischarge-receptacle for normally closing the outlet and opening theinlet to permit of entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle into thedischarge-receptacle, a lever connecting the valves with each other, aspring-controlled rod connected with'the car-platform for actuating saidlever and by the same said valves, and a treadle removably connectedwith the carplatform and said rod, said treadle when normally operatedand when actuating said rod and lever, and by the same said valves,adapted to prevent the entrance of sand from the storage-receptacle intothe discharge-receptacle and to permit of simultaneous exit of sandtherefrom, a funnel connected with-.therunninggear of the car, Inwitness twhereqfl'have hel eunte set my a tube extendingtherefrom,saidfumleland isignature in the plfesence of twosubscribingtube adapted to conduct sand I, discharged Witnesses. from: thedischarge receptacle independ-w ALFRED. LEXEB. 5 ently oft-the movementsimparted thereto l -Witnes ses:

bythe-car-bod-y, in front of-certain oft-he 1 GEO. W REED, n wheels-ofsaid-car; THOMAS M. -SMITH.

